London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

Struggling to get recruits, US Army raises enlistment bonus

Struggling to get recruits, US Army raises enlistment bonus

Maximum payout for new troops is being raised to $50,000 in hopes that extra cash will help get critical jobs filled

The US Army has reportedly increased its largest enlistment bonus by 25% as it tries to overcome pandemic-related disruptions and entice recruits amid fierce competition to fill key positions.

The maximum bonus has been raised to $50,000 from $40,000, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday, citing the head of Army Recruiting Command. Only skilled recruits who commit for six years in certain high-demand fields will qualify for the top payout.

Major General Kevin Vereen told the news agency that Covid-19 lockdowns have interrupted recruiting efforts at schools and other public venues. Meanwhile the army faces tough competition from other employers for the most prized new hires.

“We are still living the implications of 2020 and the onset of Covid, when the school systems basically shut down,” Vereen said. “We lost a full class of young men and women that we didn’t have contact with face-to-face.”

Vereen didn’t specify the jobs for which skilled recruits can get the maximum bonus. Positions in niches such as special forces and missile defense can often come with large bonuses, the AP said, but target slots for the highest payouts may change from month to month as the army’s hiring needs fluctuate.

“We’re in a competitive market,” Vereen said. “How we incentivize is absolutely essential, and that is absolutely something that we know is important to trying to get somebody to come and join the military.”

"We want to promote the value of serving your country first, but we also know that this generation and I guess human nature, you know, it’s all about compensation, too."


The army’s recruitment bonuses totaled more than $233 million in the fiscal year that ended on September 30, down from a record total of more than $485 million in 2018, when the largest US military branch failed to meet its hiring goal. The 16,500 new hires who got enlistment bonuses last year were paid an average of more than $14,000.

Vereen said this year’s recruiting goal will be about the same as 2021’s target of 57,500. The military’s Covid-19 vaccine mandate could also be a factor in new hires. More than 10,000 Army troops still hadn’t gotten their first jab as of last month, and US Army Secretary Christine Wormuth warned that those who continue to refuse the vaccine face the threat of being fired.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
×